After the Battle
by Spangel96
Summary: This continues at the end of HP7 and immediately follows the battle at Hogwarts when Harry, Ron and Hermione leave Dumbledore's study. Includes a scene with Kreacher and is rated M for adult content. Harry/Ginny Enjoy and feel free to comment :)


Harry descended the spiral stone staircase leaving Dumbledore's study – Ron and Hermione trailing behind him.

They quietly walked through the school, carefully navigating the rubble from demolished walls and rock. The late morning sun shone through the windows and gaping holes in the side of the castle. They passed various limbs and parts of the previously majestic statues and suits of armor which had fallen in the battle against Voldemort and his Deatheaters. They did come by any bodies, save a giant Acromantula on the fourth floor. The deceased Deatheaters must have been taken with the other bodies to the Great Hall to be lain to rest.

Harry still needed to take the Elder Wand to bury in Dumbledore's grave, but that could wait until morning. All he could think of was a well-needed rest.

They wound their way through the castle until they reached their destination. The portrait of the Fat Lady was miraculously unscathed. Its occupant was sharing a rather large glass of wine with her best friend and companion, Violet.

"Er… I don't know the password," Harry said.

"Oh tosh! You'd think after seven years I would know who you are Harry Potter," she said merrily as the portrait swung open. "Well done! This is a cause for celebration! Weasley, Granger," she acknowledged them as they clambered through the portrait hole, murmuring their thanks.

The common room looked much the same as ever. Harry could not believe that it had been over a year since he had been here. He climbed higher still up Gryffindor Tower towards his old dormitory.

The room was unchanged absent all of their possessions. Dean, Ron and Harry had not attended this year and Seamus and Neville had since moved into the Room of Requirement. Nevertheless the house elves must have maintained its upkeep as Harry's bed was made and looked very comfortable and inviting, but first… "Kreacher," Harry called.

With a loud _crack _the house elf apparated in front of them. "Master," said the elf excitedly, bowing so low that his nose touched the floor which caused Ron to laugh.

"You don't have to bow to me Kreacher," said Harry smiling.

"Of course Master Harry, of course," the elf exclaimed half bowing before realizing his mistake and rising to stare with obvious worship into Harry's face. He wore a tea towel with the Hogwarts emblem printed on its front. Regulus Black's locket, the fake horcrux, hung heavy around his neck. He was covered in dirt and dust from the battle and a trickle of blood ran from a small gash in his forehead, but otherwise he seemed unharmed and extremely cheerful.

"What can Kreacher do for Master?"

"Well some food would be nice," Harry admitted and with a simple snap of Kreacher's fingers, two more elves appeared carrying a tray with a steaming pot of French onion soup and three bowls and spoons. They carefully filled the bowls and handed them to Harry, Ron and Hermione who hungrily started swallowing the soup.

"I missed you Kreacher," said Harry and was surprised to realize it was true. His former hatred of the creature had completely vanished.

"Kreacher missed Master too. When Master and the others did not come back to Grimmauld Place Kreacher was very worried."

"I know and I'm really sorry about that. We couldn't come back in case we were caught and I was worried about summoning you in case you were followed."

"There was a man who came when Master was supposed to and Kreacher hit him with a frying pan. Kreacher waited and waited but Master did not return. Then Kreacher disapparated here to Hogwarts and has worked in the kitchens with the other elves awaiting Master to call which Master now has." Kreacher smiled up at him.

"Thank you Kreacher. I'm glad you're okay."

"Yeah mate, this soup is delicious," piped up Ron. "You guys were really cool to help us fight."

"I hope none of you got hurt," said Hermione worriedly.

"No. We house elves know how to fight," said Kreacher proudly. "But Dobby was not here to help. Dobby has disappeared Master," he said with sadness.

Harry swallowed and he felt his eyes watering. Kreacher wouldn't know what happened. "Dobby's dead," he said wiping away a stray tear. "He died saving us." Dobby, like so many of the others who had fallen because of Voldemort. Well that wouldn't happen anymore. Kreacher's answering sobs were more than Harry could bear. He awkwardly put his hand on the elf's shaking shoulders to comfort him.

"A…sad…loss…" said Kreacher between sobs. "Kreacher… should… tell… Winky. Master," he went to bow, but realizing he wasn't supposed to, instead looked at Harry and then disapparated. Harry sighed sadly. He had finished the soup, so he made his way to his bed, clambering tiredly under the sheets. He noticed Ron had done the same, pulling Hermione with him and they lay in each other's arms to sleep. With a pang Harry thought of Ginny, but he knew he would see her tomorrow and it was of thoughts with her that he drifted off to sleep.

He awoke to just after day break. He realized he had slept the rest of the day and into the night. Feeling well rested he rose. Ron and Hermione's bed was vacant and made. They must have gone down to the Great Hall with everyone else. Harry noticed at the foot of his bed was a pile of clean folded clothes, a basin full of warm water, a towel, a plate of toast and a flagon of pumpkin juice. Kreacher must have brought them up while he was sleeping.

Harry gratefully went over and took his jacket and shirt off and gently cleaned away all of the dried blood, sweat and dirt coating his body from the events of the last couple of days. Once he was clean and dry he changed into the clothes laid out before him: a pair of jeans with a cream coloured long sleeve sweater and a fresh jacket. He ate his breakfast and then left to find the others.

He entered the Gryffindor common room at the same time that Ginny climbed gracefully through the portrait hole. Harry stared at her, radiant as ever. She too was clean and for the most part unharmed apart from a scratch above her eye and a bruise on her collarbone. She wore jeans and a white blouse, her long red hair hung down her shoulders almost reaching her waist.

With a blazing look in her eyes, they ran to each other and locked into a tight embrace. Harry held her with one hand on the small of her back, the other between her shoulder blades. He was overwhelmed by her flowery scent, just the same as he remembered. She was safe and he never wanted to let her go.

"I thought you were dead," she whispered against his neck.

"So did I." And then they were kissing. Like the kiss on his birthday, this one was filled with passion and reckless abandon, but this was different. This kiss was full of hope and happiness. They were together and Voldemort was gone. Harry placed a hand on the back of her neck to pull her mouth up towards his. They held each other tightly, their bodies pressed against each other.

"I'm never going to leave you again," breathed Harry, breaking the kiss for but a moment. Ginny, still kissing him feverishly, pulled his jacket off his shoulders and it fell to the floor. She then reached for his waist to pull the shirt over his head where it followed the jacket. Harry grabbed her around the waist and picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his torso. Not breaking the kiss, Harry carried her like this up to his room.

There he set her down and slowly unbuttoned her blouse. Their kissing slowed to a new, more serious, rhythm. Harry's hands travelled to her jeans where he lingeringly unbuttoned and unzipped them, pulling them down. She kicked them off along with her shoes.

They pressed against each other, skin against skin. Harry picked her up once more and carried her to his bed where he gently lay her down. He climbed on top of her and they looked into each other's eyes. He leaned in and kissed her softly. He undid the clasp on her bra and gently pulled it off and dropped it to rest with her other clothes. His mouth travelled slowly down her neck, past her collarbone to her breasts. She moaned as he lightly kissed, licked and suckled one and then the other before moving further down. He kissed the length of her belly, his tongue slipping playfully in her navel as he made his way towards her underpants. He slowly pulled them down and off and she helped him by bringing her legs up through them before parting around him.

Harry leaned in towards her red public hair. Her lips were swollen and parted to allow him full access. He lightly kissed her, parting his lips and letting his tongue gently lick and caress her swollen lips. Ginny breathed heavily as he slowly slid his tongue inside of her and up over her clitoris. She gasped and wrapped her hands through his hair and around his head. Harry continued to lick and suck around her clit as her breathing quickened and she moved in time with him. He sped up slightly and started to suck her clit. She climaxed suddenly. Her hips jerked upwards and her muscles spasmed. Harry lapped up her juices hungrily.

He slowly kissed his way back up her body to her mouth. She happily returned the kiss. Their hands gently explored each other's bodies. Ginny reached her hands down between them and undid his jeans and he pulled them off along with his underpants, never breaking their kiss. She reached for him, gently stroking his hardness. He moaned against her. She maneuvered herself under him. Looking into her eyes, he slowly pushed his way into her until he reached a barrier. She grabbed hold of his buttocks and pushed him the rest of the way in. Ginny gasped in pain. Harry searched her eyes with guilt. She pulled his head towards her and softly kissed his face. They kissed deeply again. Ginny moved her hips against him signaling him to start.

He gently thrust in and out of her, their hands holding themselves against each other, roaming each other's bodies. Ginny had wrapped her legs around him pulling him tighter against her as they both moaned in pleasure. Harry, not being able to hold out much longer, quickened his pace. Ginny once again exploded in ecstasy, rocking against him. Her internal muscles spasmed along Harry's length causing him to climax with her. With one final thrust, he was still.

They stayed like that for a while, him still inside her, while their breathing slowed. Eventually he pulled out and lay next to her. Wrapped in each other's arms, Harry felt more rested and content than he had ever felt in his life.

"I love you Ginny," he whispered to her.

"As I love you," she breathed and they stayed together like that for a little while longer, happily knowing that they had all of the time in the world to spend together.


End file.
